What is Espresso?

So, what is espresso? Many people are unfamiliar with espresso. Sure, they have heard of it, but they really don't know what espresso actually is.

Well, basically it is a coffee beverage that is concentrated. It is made by using very hot water and forcing it to go through coffee that is very finely ground up. While the water you use is very hot, it should never be boiling and the coffee is ground up so fine that it is close to powder.

Back in 1843, espresso was actually invented by a man named Edward Loysel de Santais and he introduced it to the world in 1855 at that years' Paris Exposition. Later in the 1900s espresso was perfected by the people of Italy.

For many years, espresso was actually made with steam pressure; however, in the 1940s, the spring piston lever espresso machine was first invented and it became very successful.

Some people seem to think that espresso is actually just coffee; however, there are quite a few differences between coffee and espresso. What is espresso and the difference between it and coffee?

First of all, you will find that espresso is much thicker than coffee is. Also, more dissolved solids can be found in espresso as well. So, while a cup of coffee is generally about 8 ounces, a cup of espresso is only 1 ounce.

If you are wondering, what is espresso, it basically is comprised of three specific parts. There is the body, the crema, and the heart of espresso.

The crema is a special characteristic of espresso that is only found in it. Basically, crema is a special foam that appears to be reddish brown and it floats on the top of the espresso.

Essentially, espresso is a very concentrated and intense form of coffee and the flavor is much more potent than coffee as well. Since this is such an intense form of coffee, it is often used to make other coffee drinks as well.

Special espresso machines are used to make the espresso, and once made it can be mixed together with other ingredients, such as chocolate, milk, sugar, or even hot water to become other coffee beverages.

Some of the coffee beverages that contain espresso include cappuccino, lattes, macchaitis, and mochas. So, when it comes to figuring out what is espresso there is definitely a lot to understand behind this question.

Usually, when making espresso, dark roasts are used to get the best intense flavor. Also, the coffee is ground up quite fine to make sure that the water squeezes through and really brings out the flavor.

While most people go to the coffeehouse for their espresso, now days more and more people are purchasing their own espresso machines to have in their own home and they start out about $50 and go on up, depending on the size and quality of the machine.

What is espresso?...it's pure delight!

Check out How to Make Espresso and watch the video!